The instant invention relates to wall mounted systems for delivering fluid and power to hospital rooms and laboratory facilities, and more particularly to a component-based system that can be easily installed and configured to provide equipment management, or fluid and equipment management, or power and equipment management, or fluid, power and equipment management, all further including an integrated lighting system and improved interconnection systems.
Wall mounted systems for delivering utilities, such as fluid (gases and liquids) and power to hospital rooms and laboratory facilities are known in the art. Furthermore, component-based wall-mounted systems for delivering fluid and power to hospital rooms are also known in the art. For example, the U.S. patents to Pitchford et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,553,892 and 5,756,993 disclose modular systems for delivering fluid and/or power to hospital rooms.
While each of the systems in the prior art has its own unique features, each of these systems is also somewhat difficult to install, requiring excessive amounts of labor at the installation site. In particular, the prior art systems are directed to fluid rail systems in which the fluid conduits of separate fluid modules are connected with brazed pipe fittings. Such plumbing connections are labor intensive and costly. Each of the prior art systems also has many exposed joints and gaps in the external surfaces, which promote the collection of dust and debris, making these systems difficult to clean and sanitize. Finally, few, if any, of the prior art systems include an integrated lighting system.
The instant invention provides a component-based utility supply apparatus including a mounting bracket, a utility distribution unit (power or fluid) mounted to the mounting bracket and an equipment management rail. The mounting bracket includes a longitudinally extending wall mounting flange and at least one longitudinally extending supporting flange. The utility distribution unit can comprise a fluid (gas) manifold, or a power distribution assembly, or both the fluid manifold and the power distribution assembly may be coupled together to provide a combined power and gas utility supply configuration. The utility supply apparatus further comprises integrated lighting devices and light transmissive lens panel for supplying light along at least a portion of the utility supply apparatus. Multiple utility supply units can be coupled together in linear alignment to provide custom lengths suitable for use in any size room. Customized alignment plates interfittingly engage between side-by-side units to properly space the units and properly align the units for acceptance of standard cover panels. All of the exterior surfaces of the various components are configured and arranged to merge together to form continuous contoured surfaces that are easy to clean and sanitize.
Accordingly, among the objects of the instant invention are: the provision of a component-based system for delivering and managing utilities and equipment;
the provision of such a component-based utility and equipment management system that can be configured in a plurality of different configurations depending on the needs of the facility;
the provision of such a component-based utility and equipment management system that is easy to configure, install and adapt to various needs;
the provision of a component-based utility and equipment management system that includes integrated lighting elements;
the provision of a component-based utility and equipment management system where the fluid connections comprise simplified O-ring flanged fittings and o-ring seals that do not require brazing operations; and
the provision of a component-based utility and equipment management system that can be configured to provide either equipment management, or fluid and equipment management, or power and equipment management, or fluid, power and equipment management as determined by the needs of the facility.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.